


More Than Just Surviving

by Unorthodoxed



Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV), The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-05-27 09:00:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6278077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unorthodoxed/pseuds/Unorthodoxed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An Alicia Clark/Elyza Lex Fanfiction set in a semi-alternate universe of "Fear the Walking Dead"</p><p>The story takes place in an AU where Elyza Lex exists as a cannon character and Alicia has been separated from her family. </p><p>This book will be a chaptered work that will contain a mixture of fluff and smut, so just a fore-warning.</p><p>Enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Alicia ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her eyes flickering back and forth frantically as they surveyed the scene around her. Everything around her was a blur: her mind, her sight, her senses. It was hard to make sense of anything. All she knew was that she had to run. Her muscles burned and her body ached and begged her to stop, but she couldn't stop, not yet.

The faint echo of slurred groans and incoherent moans surrounded her and filled her ears, she squeezed her eyes shut momentarily in an effort to block them out. Blinking them open once again, she threw her head over her shoulder and looked behind her, her face plastered with a worried look. Her long wispy brown hair obscured her view slightly but not enough that she couldn't see the small hoard of walkers trailing after her. She suddenly gasped loudly, her balance thrown off as she felt gravity pulling her body down. Her head whipped forward just in time to catch the blur of concrete and asphalt just inches away from her face.

A sharp pain shot up from her hands and a small yelp escaped between her lips, she had tripped. "Shit," She exhaled angrily, her chest heaving as she tried to catch lost breath. She shifted so that she sat up facing the direction she had been running away from, patting the debris from her hands. She winced slightly, the touch stung against the freshly scraped skin. She tucked away the strands of hair the stuck to her face with sweat, clearing the obscurity of her view. Her blue eyes widened and she scrambled backwards, "Shit!" She said again in more panicked tone. _I thought I had put more distance between us,_ She thought, clenching her teeth and furrowing her brow. She struggled to return to her feet, only to find herself falling back again onto her rump. She glanced up. She could feel her heart rate quickening as her breathing became more panicked and frantic. "Shit, shit, shit!" She cursed, her volume crescendoing with each repetition. Her panic increased with each growing second, each painfully slow step of the walkers. Her hands felt around blindly behind her until they grasped the cold circumference of a broken pipe. She clutched onto it, her knuckles white from holding it so tight, but she couldn't move to defend herself. She froze, overtaken by fear of the moment. _This is it,_ She thought, _This is how I die,_ She squeezed her eyes shut and curled her arms and legs into her body, pipe held across her chest as she embraced for what was about to happen.

But it didn't.

Instead, she heard the loud roar of a motor and gunshots. She flinched. Alicia peaked through a single eye, confused. What she saw did nothing to resolve that confusion. In front of her stood a tall, lean, blonde. Her eyes darted away to see a motorcycle skidded across the road and resting on its side. Still unable to make sense of anything, she turned her attention back to the blonde. Her gaze washed over the other female. She was sporting ripped, black jeans and a leather jacket with a grey hood to match. In her hands the stranger held two black pistols, each of them outstretched and aimed at the zombies lumbering towards them. The sound of gunshot echoed off the walls of the city as the blonde fired from each gun, sudden and loud. There was one shot per walker, straight through the head, execution style. Alicia couldn't help but to watch in awe as she took them out one by one, flinching at the first few firings.

When the last bullet fired, the blonde holstered her guns on either side of her hips and turned on her heels to face Alicia. Alicia felt her heart skip a beat. The blonde outstretched a hand to the brunette, an invitation to take it. "You alright?" She asked.

Alicia reluctantly took the open hand and pulled herself to her feet. She squinted slightly and looked her up and down, her brows furrowed and lips slightly pursed. She didn't recognize her. "Who the hell are you?" She asked flatly.

"What, no 'thank you'?" The blonde replied with a smirk, cocking an eyebrow. She shoved her hands into her pockets, and gave a soft shrug. "The names Elyza Lex, and I usually get some sort of thanks when I save someones life," she said sarcastically.

Alicia hesitated before she spoke, "Alicia Clark."

"Now we're getting somewhere," She said with a toothy smile, chewing on her cheek slightly. "What are you doing out here all alone? Its dangerous without someone to watch your back. A nice lookin' upperclass girl like you 'outta have one of those military run 'safe zones' to stay in, yeah?"

"I could ask the same of you," Alicia replied, her voice still held a flat, cautious tone to it. She ignored her second inquiry.

"Hey! I saved your ass didn't I? Guess next time I'll just let you fend for yourself," Elyza retorted. She pivoted and took a step off away from Alicia, crossing her arms.

"Wait," Alicia began.

Elyza paused in her place, glancing over her shoulder.

"Thank you," Alicia said in a softer voice, her eyes falling to the ground as she spoke. Her body relaxed slightly, she returned her gaze to meet Elyza's. "I would've died," She said flatly.

"Geez I'm no hero or anything," Elyza blushed softly, turning her head forward so it wouldn't be seen. "I was just doing what was right."

There was a momentary silence that fell between the two, neither spoke nor moved. Alicia blinked, unsure if she should say something in return. She parted her lips to say something but instead it was Elyza who spoke. "Com'mon, I'll give you a ride to wherever you need to go," She offered, pulling her motorcycle up from the ground. She threw a leg around the girth of the bike and gripped the handles, revving the engine slightly.

Alicia shook her head slowly, "Thanks, but I don't have anywhere to go."

Elyza turned and met eyes with her, brows furrowed. A stray strand of blonde hair fell into her face. "Seriously?" She heaved a sigh, "Alright whatever you can come with me then," She said and patted the seat space behind her.

Alicia raised an eyebrow and chewed on her lip nervously. She glanced at Elyza and then the bike she sat on. It was a medium sized Harley with a mainly black coat and chrome detailing, nothing fancy, but still a decent bike. It looked old; There were scratches and dents that littered the body of the bike, and a layer of dust blanketed its sides. If anything, it sure could've used a good washing. Alycia hesitated before she finally made up her mind and took a soft step forward. She said nothing as she slowly made her way towards Elyza and the bike. She let a hand touch the crinkled leather seat before she threw a leg around and sank into the seat. Elyza gave her a reassuring look and she carefully curled her arms around Elyza's waist, holding onto her tightly as she began to rev the engine.

Elyza's lips curled up into a smile and slowly pressed the gas, "Hold on tight."


	2. Chapter 2

The abandoned city landscape passed by in a blur. Alicia had never ridden a motorcycle before, but the feeling of the metal beast roaring beneath her was exhilarating. With the wind whipping through her hair and the bike reverberating beneath her, the rush of adrenaline that pulsed through her veins felt even more intense. Although weary at first, she had completely given up any sense of fear for what she was doing. The chilled wind stung against her face and woke her senses. Suddenly, she felt very aware and alert to everything around her. Unconsciously, she tightened the hold her arms held around Elyza's waist, pressing her body slightly closer to the length of her back. 

"Geez, no need to strangle my sides," Elyza shouted over the whir of the wind, her tone rather light-hearted and playful.

It took Alicia a few moments to process what she had said. She blinked, it was difficult to hear her of over the wind and over the sound of the blooding pounding in her ears, but she managed to pick out bits and pieces of what she said, enough to answer her. "Sorry," She replied as she loosened her grip slightly. 

Elyza's lips curled into a smirk as to dismiss the brunettes apology. "We're almost there," She said, turning her head slightly to flash a toothy smile, careful not to take too much attention from the barren road that stretched out under them. 

"And where is _there_?" Alicia asked, cocking an eyebrow, curiosity laced between her words. 

"You'll see soon enough," The blonde replied as she turned her full attention back to the road ahead of them.

Alicia furrowed her brow, unsure why the blonde couldn't just tell her where they were going. She shrugged her shoulders slightly to dismiss it, not wanting to dwell on it too much, like she had said, she would see soon enough. She turned her head so that it rested against Elyza's shoulder and back as she watching the scenery pass.

Her blue-green eyes followed the scenery lazily. It didn't take long for the city landscape to dwindle, abandoned buildings replaced by spotty fields and broken fences. The city structures began to grow noticeably further and further apart from each other the more they drove, street lamps and sidewalks slowly swapped for lanky trees and gravel. Alicia didn't recognize the where they were, assumedly they had made into some agricultural district that lay just outside the city limits.

A good amount of time had passed before the metal bike finally crawled to a stop in front of a beat-up looking shack, the sun had already begun to set behind the horizon. _Is this it?_ Alicia wondered. It didn't look like much, it was about the size of workshop shed and looked as if it could keel over any minute. Its warped wooden sides were caked in dust and the once white paint had begun to crack and peel away. The shingles on the roof were spotty and a few holes punctured the sides of the structure.

The blonde could easily see the confusion in the other's face as she pulled to a stop. "Just hop off and wait here," She instructed her simply.

Alicia did as she was told in silence and slipped off the seat and to her feet. Her eyes followed Elyza as she wheeled the motorcycle into the shack, disappearing behind the tall doors only for her to return a few moments later. Her eyes never left her body as the blonde approached her.

"That stare of yours is pretty intimidating," Elyza said with a soft chuckle, tucking a stray strand of long blonde hair behind her ear.

Alicia almost flinched and quickly glanced away, unaware how long she had been looking. "I wasn't staring," She replied.

"You're a terrible liar," She smirked.

"Tch," Alicia dismissed her remark and turned, folding her arms across her chest. "Where are we going now anyways?" She asked in a flat tone. 

"There," the blonde replied, raising a hand to point at something in the distance.

Alicia turned her head to look where the other had gestured, squinting slightly as she peered over the horizon. A few yards off stood what looked like an old ranch-style house, surrounded by a broken, split rail fence. She hadn't even realized that it was there, when they stopped she didn't really bother to look around, her eyes were drawn to Elyza for the majority of the time.

"Com'on," Elyza took a few steps forward and gestured for Alicia to follow. "It's not that far of a walk."

Alicia hesitated, but soon followed. The two walked in silence. It wasn't a tense silence, but it wasn't quite comfortable either. And it was oddly quiet considering the situation, not even single groan or moan passed their ears, only the sound of the gravel crunching beneath their feet and the rush of a breeze filled the silence. As the two neared the house, Alicia glanced it over. It was a small, two story house painted white to match the shed, though the color more closely resembled the off-white hue of old parchment. The shingles that bordered each window were a cracked green to match the bushes that bordered the front porch. The outer walls of the house were blanketed in a layer of dust and the paint was peeling in some spots, but the structure seemed much more sturdy than the shed. Elyza trotted up the steps of the porch and to the door, opening it. Alicia hesitated at the edge of the steps, glancing down at her feet and then back up to Elyza, who was now looking at her.

"Well, don't be afraid, Im not going to bite you or anything," She said, cocking an eyebrow, "Unless you want me to," She added in a quieter, more amused voice than before, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. 

Alicia rolled her eyes, struggling not to smile at the terrible attempt to flirt with her. Uncrossing her arms, she walked up the stairs and through the door. She glanced around, everything seemed to match the exterior - old and dusty. The first room they entered was the kitchen. It was small and only had a table with two chairs and a small counter space, the appliances were defiantly out of date - not that they'd be of any use to them now. Elyza pulled the door shut behind them and slipped out of her jacket, throwing it onto the back of a kitchen table chair. She stretched slightly then turned to Alicia, who was still absentmindedly looking around. Alicia turned and met eyes with her. "Is this place yours?" She asked.

"No, it was abandoned when I found it," She replied. "I just moved in when my home was overrun by walkers."

Alicia assumed that walkers was synonymous to zombies. "Oh," She replied, unsure what else to say. A silence fell between them.

Elyza slowly made her way to the foot of the stairs that led to the second level. She paused to break the silence, "If you're hungry there are some canned goods in the pantry," She began with a slight gesture towards a closed door, "Theres not much but Im sure you'll find something."

"Thanks," Alicia replied, eyeing her from the side.

"Its getting late so Im gonna go crash. Second room on the right upstairs is yours if you want it, the one on the left is mine if you need me," She finished, glancing upstairs. She gestured a slight wave and continued up the steps without another word. Alicia's eyes trailed her as she disappeared into the room she assumed was hers. For a few moments after Elyza had gone, she stood still in the silence, questioning herself. _What now?_ She thought. She wasn't terribly hungry, but she wasn't quite ready to sleep yet. She took a few steps around the room, her hands tracing the edges of the counter, then the wall. Her gaze passed over pictures of a family she didn't recognize, assumedly the previous owners of the house. She couldn't help but to wonder what happened to them. Deep down she knew they probably were infected, but she still managed to hope that they just escaped before it all happened. She explored the majority of the bottom floor to keep her busy, which consisted mainly of the kitchen, living room, and a large, rather empty storage room. It wasn't long before a wave of sleepiness washed over her. 

Alicia stifled a yawn, closing her eyes for a moment. _Maybe I should got to bed,_ She thought, running a tired hand through her hair. She turned and slowly made her way towards the stairs and began her way up them. The old wood boards creaked and groaned in distress beneath her weight, disturbing the otherwise silent house. She found her way to her room, second room on the right, just as Elyza had told her. She pushed open the door and peered inside. It was dark in the room, the only light source the moonlight that pure in through the single window. Everything inside seemed untouched. The full-sized bed was made neatly and assorted books lay piled on the night stand, it was as if time just froze and left the house behind. And in a way, it did. Alicia stepped further into the room and started towards the small closet, hoping maybe to find some clothes to change into before bed - She didn't exactly want to sleep in the same ones she had worn all day. Slowly she opened the door. Before she even had time to process what was happening, a body came tumbling out. She opened her mouth to scream, stumbling back until she tripped onto the bed, watching wide-eyed as it slowly lumbered towards her.

Suddenly awoken by the scream, Elyza jumped out of bed and appeared at Alicia's doorway, gun in hand. Everything from that moment seemed to happen in a blur. A single shot fired from her gun, filling the room with a bright flash and the smell of rancid blood and gunpowder. Alicia covered her mouth to avoid gagging, her eyes slightly moist from the sudden fright. Elyza hurried to her side, crawling onto the bed and beside her carefully. 

"You alright?" She asked, concern in her eyes. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

Alicia shook her head and cleared her throat, "Im fine," She said, though the shakiness in her voice betrayed her. She shrugged her hand off her shoulder.

Elyza studied her for a moment, her blue eyes quizzical. "You're still a terrible liar," She said softly.

Alicia closed her eyes and shook her head. "Im fine," She repeated, "You can go now."

Elyza hesitated, but rose to her feet and began to head back to her room. She paused at the doorframe when Alicia's soft voice reached her ears. 

"Wait," Alicia called after having a moment to really think, "I don't want to sleep in this room," She said, _Or by myself..._ She added silently. 

Elyza's face softened and small smile tugged at her pale lips. "You can sleep in my room then, I'll sleep downstairs on the couch."

"No," Alicia responded quicker than she meant to. Elyza looked at her with a questioning look, furrowing her brow slightly. "I wouldn't want to kick you out of your own bed, its fine. We can both sleep in it, Im sure its big enough," She continued. Her voice hadn't grown any less shaky, but it wasn't so much the fear anymore, but rather from suggesting the idea of sleeping in the same bed as her.

Elyza was surprised, but by no means upset by the idea. "Alright, com'on then," She replied softly with a smile. She led the other female to her room and bed. Elyza reached down to straighten the covers some, which had been thrown of in a frantic hurry not moments ago. She crawled into the bed and held up the covers, an invitation for Alicia to join her. Alicia hesitated but crawled into the bed beside her. It was still warm, a comforting feeling. Although she was in a strange house and about to sleep in the same bed and a near stranger, Alicia felt oddly safe, oddly comfortable. She settled beneath the blankets and curled into a fetal position with her back facing Elyza, her arms wrapped around the pillow she rested her head on.

The blonde let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes, already beginning to slip away into slumber. "In the morning I'll teach you how to shoot, I've already had to save your ass twice," She mumbled sleepily, "But for now just sleep, I won't let anything hurt you," She said, her voice low toned and raspy. 

Alicia closed her eyes and heaved a deep, exhausted sigh. Elyza was lying awfully close to her, yet she hadn't tried to touch or snuggle her. At this moment, she wasn't sure yet if she was relieved or disappointed, all she knew was that she was tired. For awhile, she teetered between consciousness and unconsciousness, her mind still running amuck with the days events, but after some time, she finally slipped into the dreamworld and the room fell silent.


	3. Chapter 3

"Spread your legs wider," Elyza said in a low, hoarse voice, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Alicia felt her cheeks grow warm as the words crossed her ears. She did just as she was told and adjusted her legs so that they were spread slightly wider than they were before. She could feel her heart begin to beat faster as her body began to tremble with anticipation. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath, her head falling to the side slightly.

Elyza let out a low chuckle, "Open your eyes, you won't be able to see anything like that."

She hesitated at first, but Alicia let her eyes flutter back open at the sound of her voice, and looked at Elyza, lingering for a moment before averting her gaze once again. She clenched her fingers. 

 

_BANG_

 

The gun in Alicia's hand fired, the soft recoil causing her to stumble backwards slightly in surprise. The sound of the gun firing echoed across the property, followed by the sound of a mute clank as the bullet ricocheted off of some unknown object, obviously not the target she had supposedly been aiming for.

Elyza cackled, "Oh man, I know its your first time firing a gun and all, but that was _terrible_!" She managed to say through her fit of laughter. She clutched her stomach as she leaned over to laugh, obviously very amused.

Alicia's cheeks grew hot as she turned on her heel to face Elyza. "It was my first time!" She retorted, slightly embarrassed at how badly she preformed with the gun, though her rather expressionless face didn't show it.

"Im sorry, Im sorry," Elyza continued to giggle softly, "I'll stop laughing," She said with a final _hmph_ of laughter. She tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear and let out a soft sigh, regaining her composure. "Ok, try again, this time try to keep your eyes open though," She said with a smile, winking softly.

Alicia scoffed lightly and turned back to face the line of targets set before her; about a half a yard away, an assortment of bottles were propped up on the top rail of the old split-rail fence. She raised the gun up so that her eyes fell straight down the middle of the gun's sights. Taking a deep breath, she slowly pulled the trigger. The gun fired again and the sound echoed. There was no ricochet sound this time, instead there was a dull _thsst_ and a sudden small cloud of dust, the bullet had shot into the ground just in front of the fence. Alicia clenched her teeth.

"Missed again!" Elyza called teasingly from behind her.

Alicia ignored her and raised the gun to fire again. Another miss. She started to grow frustrated. Furrowing her brow, she turned to Elyza. "This is useless," She said flatly, waving the gun around slightly.

"Woah, woah! Careful there, don't wave the gun around like that, especially without the safety on," She said in a sudden, urgent tone, much more serious than before. She lazily jogged to her side and carefully grabbed the gun from her hands. "You might end up shooting it by accident, and I'm definitely not in the mood to be hit by a stray bullet and die," She said with a soft chuckle. Elyza paused and looked her up in down, then smiled, "Here, let me help."

Carefully, Elyza took a stance behind Alicia so that her arms could reach around both sides of her. Snaking her arms around the brunette's sides and over her arms, she placed the gun in Alicia's hand. Elyza carefully guided the placement of her fingers with her own, placing her hands gently over Alycia's; one on the butt of the pistol for support, one curled around the stem and trigger.

Alicia shuddered at the touch of the blonde's hand against hers. The simple brush of skin was enough to make her heartrate skyrocket as her heart's beats skipped and jumped, her skin growing hotter with each increasingly long moment. Elyza's breath felt warm agains Alycia's neck. It had been such a long time since She had had contact with another human, it felt oddly refreshing yet exhilaratingly nerve racking at the same time. Alycia swallowed hard, she wasn't sure what she was feeling. 

Elyza helped Alicia raise the gun, placing her chin gently on her shoulder so that she could see down the sights at about the same angle as Alicia. Elyza gently curled her finger in so that Alicia did the same. The gun fired. Right on target. The bottle shattered and fell back into the dirt, creating a small cloud of dust where the pieces fell. The recoil from the gun sent Alicia back into Elyza. She stumbled a bit, but regained her balance. 

"See, its not so hard," Elyza said with a smile, stepping back from Alicia to look at her handiwork. 

"Only because you did most of the work," Alicia replied flatly, an unconscious smile tugging at the corner of her lip slightly, almost unnoticeable. 

Elyza flashed her a smirk, allowing her eyes to connecting with the others. For a moment, no words passed between them, until a soft growl broke the silence. Elyza let out a giggle, Alicia's eyes widened as she clutched her stomach. 

"Seems like someones hungry," She said amusedly, "Why don't we go eat something and then you can try again after."

Alicia let out a soft sigh and ran a free hand through her long, brunette locks, "Fine, I was getting tired of this anyways," she said, lowering her hand with the gun in it. _I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon anyways_ , she thought.

"Make sure the safety's on," Elyza reminded her, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Yeah, yeah," Alicia said dismissively, waving her hand in a knowing gesture as she pulled the gun up to flip the safety on. She took a few steps forward until she was at Elyza's side. The two began the walk back to the house.

It was still relatively early in the morning, Alicia assumed somewhere around ten based on where the sun was positioned in the sky - not quite to the middle, but not that far away either. They had both woken up rather early that morning. Alicia let her mind wander as moments reminiscent of this morning filled her thoughts.

 

 

 

Alicia's eyes fluttered open slowly, very unaware of where she was at first. The bright morning sun flooded into the room through the single window, filling the space with a warm, welcoming sensation. She shifted in the bed slightly, stretching carefully as she began to further wake up, the comforter slipping from her shoulder. She rolled over lazily in the bed, her eyes closed as she heaved a groggy sigh. Once settled, she allowed her eyes to waver open. Her eyes shot open with the sudden realization of where she was, and who she was with. What entered her vision caught her completely of guard, her heart stopped. She had to cup a hand over her mouth so not to make any noise that might wake the other. _Oh my god._

Memories of the previous night slowly began to return to her: the walker in her room, Elyza coming to her rescue, the fear she felt. Alicia let out a soft sigh of relief once she realized she hadn't just crawled into a strangers bed, well, technically she did, but nothing happened. She let her muscles relax a bit. Alicia's eyes washed over the soft features of the sleeping blondes face.

As if she could feel the brunettes eyes on her, Elyza sleepily shifted her weight, mumbling something incoherent as she moved, clearly not quite wake yet.

Alicia felt a swell of panic arise her stomach at the sudden movement. She carefully slipped out from under the covers and sat up on the side of the bed, pressing her feet to the cold floor. She carefully stood up and slipped out of the room.

 

 

 

"So what do you feel like eatin'?" A familiar voice broke her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. They had already arrived back at the house and Elyza was holding the door open for her.

Alicia trailed after and inside. Careful to hide her blush caused by the brief flashback, she turned and gave a shrug. "You're the one who lives here, I wouldn't know what you have that qualifies as food," she replied.

Elyza blinked, pursing her lips slightly as she thought for a moment. "Well I don't have anything fresh, but the pantry has plenty of canned goods," she said, making her way over the the pantry door. Alicia's eyes followed her carefully. Elyza took a moment to open the door and glance around at what was inside. She leaned in and pulled out two small cans with disheveled labels. She held them up, "How does canned fruit sound for breakfast?" She asked with a smile, raising an eyebrow.

Alicia gave a soft nod, "That's fine," she replied, taking a seat at one of the two chairs that sat at the small kitchen table. Her eyes carefully observed Elyza as she sauntered about the kitchen, preparing what little she had.

In the absence of a can opener, Elyza plunged a knife into the tin can's cover, a soft hiss of pressurized air escaped. Wriggling the knife around, she popped open the top of the first can and shlopped it into a small glass bowl. She did the same with the second and bright both bowls over, a spoon in each. "Bon appétit," Elyza said as she presented the bowls of preserved fruits.

Alicia flashed her smile as a thank you. She looked down at the bowl of sugary, syrup covered mixed fruit and picked up the spoon, twirling slightly in the fruity mixture before scooping up what resembled a peach square. She placed it in her mouth and chewed, letting out a soft sigh. It wasn't that it was bad, in fact, it was sweet and tasted pretty good, but she would kill to have a nice breakfast of pancakes.

The two ate in silence for a little while before Elyza finally parted her lips to speak, "I need to go back into the city soon to stock up on ammo and other supplies," she said, spooning a small pile of fruit into her mouth. "My last shopping trip was cut short," She said with a smirk.

Alicia glanced up from her food to see Elyza looking straight at her with an eyebrow raised, obviously implying that it was her fault. "What? Sorry that you had to save me," She said, furrowing her brow slightly before smiling back to assure her that she wasn't offended or anything. "We can go tomorrow," She said, "But I don't think a motorcycle is good for any type of supply run, especially with two people, we should try to find a larger vehicle."

"I think theres an old pickup somewhere out back," Elyza said with a mouthful. She swallowed and stood, taking her dishes and slipping them into the sink, then walked back to the table where she picked up Alicia's bowl and did the same.

Alicia nodded and let her eyes follow her as she walked to the sink. "Tomorrow then," She said.

Elyza nodded, "Tomorrow." 


	4. Chapter 4

Alicia woke up the next morning sprawled out across the couch. She blinked a few times as her sleepy eyes adjusted to the light that flooded through the living room window. It took her a moment to truly wake up and adjust, to actually realize where she was.

Although Elyza had helped her to remove the corpse from her room yesterday, the room still smelled of death, and she couldn't stand the rancid smell, so she had moved to the couch in the night. It had crossed her mind to simply share the bed with Elyza like she had done the night before, but she didn't want to seem intruding. 

Alicia sat up and stretched, throwing her arms above her head and arching her back, her back made a few popping sounds as it cracked. She rubbed a hand against her neck. _Ahg, I must've slept funny,_ She thought as she massaged the crook in her neck. A sudden voice startled her.

"Morning," said a familiar voice.

Alicia turned to see Elyza making her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Good morning," The brunette replied, pulling her hair to one side of her shoulder before lazily standing up, the blankets that covered her earlier slipping off and onto the ground. 

"Did you sleep alright? I went to check for you in your room and you weren't there," The blonde said as she re-arranged some dishes that were left out on the counter from last night's dinner.

"I guess so," Alicia replied with a yawn, stretching again now that she was standing. "So whats the plan for today?" She asked, stepping into the kitchen.

"Supply run," Elyza said simply, it was easy to tell she still wasn't quite awake, as her replies were much shorter and less full of witty remarks than they usually were. 

Alicia rubbed her eyes and walked up so that she stood behind and slightly to the side of the blonde, whom was still moving the dirty dished around. "Right, sorry, forgot that I cut your supply run short last time," She said with a soft laugh.

Elyza smiled softly and let out and amused _humph,_ "Yeah, you sure did," She turned around so that her eyes met with Alicia's. "We should probably head out right away, that way we know we'll have plenty of daylight."

"I suppose thats a good idea," Alicia began, "Who knows what might tie us up out there," She said.

"Hopefully nothing, I'm not sure I'm into that," Elyza said jokingly with a laugh.

Alicia hit her playfully on the arm and half-smiled, "Hey, I didn't mean like that." 

"Mhm," Elyza crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter. "You should go change into something new," She said, "We can leave after."

Alicia glanced down at the tattered and torn clothes she was wearing, the same ones she had on when Elyza had found her. _She's right, I should probably change,_ Alicia thought. 

"Alright," Alicia agreed simply and wondered upstairs and into her room.

The room still smelled of death, though the stench was stale and much less noticeable than before. It had helped to open the window and let it air out. She walked over to the closet and carefully opened the doors, as if she was afraid another body would fall out. But nothing came out after her, except a foul odor; the closet smelled the worst of all. 

Alicia browsed through the clothes and pulled off a flannel from one of the hangers and threw it onto the bed. She grabbed a pair of boots that rested on the floor of the closet and threw them by the bed as well. She backed away and closed the closet and found a pair of old, torn jeans and placed them with the rest of the clothes. She quickly pulled off her own clothes and threw them into the corner of the room, putting on the ones she had found quickly after. Although the pants were slightly small on her, the shirt was entirely too big and hung from her frame like a loose sail. 

"Oh well," Alicia said in an almost defeated tone, "It'll have to do."

She slipped on the shoes and returned to the downstairs kitchen, where Elyza was packing a bag.

"Ready to go?" Elyza asked without looking away from what she was doing.

"Ready as I'll ever be," She said with a sigh. "How are we getting there? I dont think a motorcycle is a good choice for a supply run, no space to hold anything we get, especially if there are two of us on it."

"No, you're right, I think there's an old pickup out back, like I mentioned yesterday," Elyza replied. She zipped up the back pack and looked up. "If there isn't a truck like I thought there was, then I'll just go on my own,"

"But thats not a very safe, or a very good idea," Alicia protested, furrowing her brow. 

"Then lets hope there's a truck back there," Elyza said simply, swinging the back pack around her shoulder and holstering her guns on either side of her hips. She began to head for the door. "Com'on," Elyza gestured her to follow with her hand.

Alicia's brows softened and she followed after her. 

To both of their relief, when they rounded the corner to the back of the house, there sat a rusty old pickup truck. With grass sprouting around its tires and visible layer of dirt and dust caked to the outside detail, it seemed as if the truck had been laying dormant there for ages, unused. Alicia looked at the vehicle apprehensively. 

"Are you sure this thing is going to work?" She asked, a hint of concern and doubt laced between her words.

"Only one way to find out," Elyza said, pulling at the handle of the car door. It swung open with ease, scattering a cloud of dust in to her face. She coughed and waved it away before climbing in. "Aha! Perfect, keys," She shouted in triumph to herself and she plunged them into the ignition. The car sputtered a bit and then died. A rush of panic washed through her. "Com'on, come ooon," She pleaded with the car as she turned the key again in an attempt to start it. The car finally started with a sputtered stutter before steadying out into a rough, mechanic, purr, as if to protest its disinterest in being woken up. "Yes! Haha!" She exclaimed with a smile. She rolled down the passenger side window and yelled out of it, "Hop in!" 

Alicia smiled and opened the door, coughing a bit at the dust it stirred. She sat down into the seat, the old leather coverings cracking under her weight. 

Elyza fiddled around with the settings of the old car for a moment before she settled her foot down onto the gas pedal, applying slight pressure until the car lurched forward. The car rolled bumpily over the field until it reach the gravel road. They began their travel down the long road to the city.

The ride into the city was spent mostly in silence, the cabin of the car filled only with the sound of the static of the broken radio and the occasional calls of nature. It didn't take them long to get into the city, it was much faster by car than by motorcycle. Elyza pulled the car over to the curb, stopping just outside the entrance to the mall.

Alicia looked out the window and at the mall. It wasn't in great condition: many of the windows were shattered or painted over, the roof was spotted with damage and holes, and the entrances were either boarded up or missing all together. 

"Are you sure there's gonna be anything in here? It looks a bit like a carcass of a scavenge at this point," Alicia stated blankly.

"Its a big place, Im sure there's plenty left," Elyza said, switching off the car and pulling out the keys. "Besides, Ive never met another person out here besides you, so its not like there are many people to take whats left in this place." Elyza opened the door and jumped out, slamming it behind her.

"I suppose thats true," Alicia said, trailing off as she slowly opened the door and slipped out. 

The two walked up towards the closest entrance to the building. The glass doors had been boarded over, but there was a small opening in the wood planks, and the glass behind it was shattered. The opening was just big enough to fit through.

Carefully the two females squeezed through the opening. 

Once inside, Alicia stood and looked around the dimly-lit shopping space. Most of the shops had their cage doors and gates pulled either all the way down or halfway down. Those shops that had no cages pulled were almost completely ransacked and scavenged, but those with cages remained almost completely intact and untouched. 

Elyza glanced at Alicia and then to their surroundings. "Although this place is mostly barred off from outside, things can still get in, so just keep an eye out and stay close to me," She said. "I'd hand you one of my guns, but you weren't such a sharp shooter yesterday," She said with a chuckle. 

Alicia nodded, "Right," She glanced around and shivered slightly, "I'll have no problem doing that," She said blankly, her mind somewhere else. The place had given her a feeling of foreboding unfamiliarity, a feeling she didn't like. 

Elyza began walking towards the stairs. "Com'on, we'll look for a weapon stock store first," She said, gesturing for Alicia to follow.

Alicia walked closely behind her, her gaze washing over everything they passed, her eyes peeled and searching for any movement that might signal trouble for the two of them. 

"Ah, here we are," Elyza muttered to herself as she turned to a store. Its entrance was caged off and locked down. "Stand back," Elyza warned, "And cover your ears."

Alicia did as she was told, stepping back and cupping her hands over her ears.

Elyza pulled a single gun out of its holster and aimed it at the gate lock and fired.

Alicia flinched from the shot.

The blonde walked froward and flung up the gate with ease, the bullet had broken the lock. She walked in and smiled. "Perfect, untouched and stocked full of useful weapons and ammo."

Alicia followed in after her. She inhaled slowly and let out a sigh. The air smelled stale and of dust and metal. She glanced around. "Don't fill up your bag on everything from here, otherwise we won't have any room for other supplies we need to find," She warned.

Elyza nodded and replied with a simple "Mhm," then suddenly stopped walking, freezing in her tracks. 

An unaware Alicia bumped into her on accident. "Sorry," She mumbled, but her apology was cut short by an abrupt _Shh._

"Did you hear that?" Elyza whispered with an urgent tone. Her hand slowly found its way to the gun that rested on her right hip. She gripped the butt of the gun, ready to pull it out at a moments notice. 

Alicia quickly froze as well, her eyes widening as she listened to the silence. She didn't hear anything.

"What is i-" But she was cut off by the sound of gunfire.

Elyza had drawn her weapon and was shooting at something in the dark, but she couldn't see what it was. She backed up a couple of steps. 

Elyza fired another shot before a body came stumbling towards her out of the dark. The blonde took a few steps back, but stepped right into a display, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards. She caught herself in time to avoid injury, but her gun had slid away in the process. Before she knew it the smell of rancid blood filled her nostrils as the walker's body pressed its weight onto her, snapping and biting at the air in an attempt to graze her flesh. Elyza yelled and struggled under the body, only her hands and arms keeping the walker from biting her, its face only mere inches from hers.

Alicia was standing just barely to the side, her eyes wide in horror. 

She screamed in her mind, frozen and unsure what to do.

_Shit!_


End file.
